Tennis World number 10 Britain’s Emma Raducanu regards her match up with Serena Williams as a “great gift” to play the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion for the first time in her career.

The Brit is scheduled to face the American great tonight at the Western and Southern Open first round; one of her final tournaments after the game was delayed from its original Monday date due to rains.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting match,” Raducanu said, whose first memory of seeing Williams play was when she went to Wimbledon as a seven-year-old.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It’s probably going to be my last opportunity to ever play her” the reigning US open champion declared.

“I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play her. Whatever happens, I think it’s going to be a really good experience for me and something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Earlier this week, Williams asserted that she would soon retire from tennis, saying she will be “evolving away” from the sport after the US Open.

Raducanu, 19, is preparing to defend her US Open title later this month.

“It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out from the sport “the teen sensations said.

The British number one won the Flushing Meadows tournament last year as an unseeded 18-year-old, 22 years after Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title in New York, aged just 17.

The winner will face either Victoria Azarenka or Kaia Kanepi in the second round.